I had the Gynefix IUD inserted in August and boy am I glad I did. It's a new kind of IUD that is a flexible copper 'chain' that is fixed to the uterus with a small knot, so no danger of falling out.Link to info for anyone who is interested here: http://www.wildemeersch.com/en/home

I was on the Nuvaring before and never had actual problem with it, but my migraine seems to be better now and it is also a lot cheaper in the long run.

For all European ppkers interested in non-hormone-IUDs: I REALLY recommend this one. You have to ask around for it though, not many doctors know about it and insert it yet.

I had the Gynefix IUD inserted in August and boy am I glad I did. It's a new kind of IUD that is a flexible copper 'chain' that is fixed to the uterus with a small knot, so no danger of falling out.Link to info for anyone who is interested here: http://www.wildemeersch.com/en/home

I have to (but cringe to) know: how do they fix the knot to the uterus?

Thank you for the info Lily! That sounds quite interesting, especially since mine moves so often.How does it get taken out though, if there is the knot to prevent it coming out? Did you ask your doctor about it, or did s/he suggest it to you? I'm asking because I'm always a bit skeptical of websites advertising new medical devices where there are typos in the text.But it definitely sounds like something to look more into!

_________________I dunno, I guess I just get enthused over eating big ol' squishy balls. - Interrobang?!

I had the Gynefix IUD inserted in August and boy am I glad I did. It's a new kind of IUD that is a flexible copper 'chain' that is fixed to the uterus with a small knot, so no danger of falling out.Link to info for anyone who is interested here: http://www.wildemeersch.com/en/home

I was on the Nuvaring before and never had actual problem with it, but my migraine seems to be better now and it is also a lot cheaper in the long run.

For all European ppkers interested in non-hormone-IUDs: I REALLY recommend this one. You have to ask around for it though, not many doctors know about it and insert it yet.

Did you find that the claim that it doesn't affect bleeding (compared to periods without hormonal contraception) after the first few months held true for you? Anecdote doesn't equal data, obviously.

That's interesting Lily, last night I decided I'm probably going to get my (non-hormonal) IUD removed so I'll ask the people at the family planning clinic about that kind.

The main reason I'm leaning towards having it removed is that my period pains are now INSANE, I have to take a codeine, paracetamol, caffeine painkiller and ibuprofen & they just take the edge off the pain a little bit. The bleeding's also ridiculous, only for the 2nd & 3rd day but I'm pretty fed up of it.

The only problem is that I don't know what to try next. It needs to be non-hormonal, I don't want children so I've been considering Essure but one of the side effects is possibly heavier periods - I'm not really willing to risk that when the procedure's non-reversible.

I hope I can help clarifyings some questions although I'm surely not an expert on IUDs in general and the Gynefix especially:

- The bleeding issue: my period is now stronger than it used to be on the Nuvaring but still not as strong as it used to be before. But I think that may be due to the fact that the hormones are probably not back into perfect balance after a couple of months. I was never much of a heavy bleeder though and never had any problems with strong pain/ cramping/ etc. so I may not be the best example for how well suited this IUD is for people with heavy peoriods. However, the argument that the shape of this IUD should affect the uterus less sounds very plausible to me.

- How it will be removed: actually I did not ask the doctor, to be honest. I just figured that the knot it is fixed with will be cut and the whole thing can then be removed. Also, the procedure of inserting it was compared to a 'piercing' for the uterus. They actually fix it into the wall of the uterus and it needs a couple of weeks to heal properly during which one is not allowed to do any kind of sports that cause contractions in the pelvic area (swimming, riding). I was also asked to 'take it easy' for the first weeks, not do all that much sports in general and also have sex 'like bears do' (=slow and careful)

- Anek, the typos on the site may be due to the fact that the inventor is Belgian and this is his homepage. So I guess someone who is not a native speaker did the translation into English. From what I have heard, this IUD is being produced by a small company and only has been approved for use by the EU, but not for all specific countries within the EU (at least not for Germany), because the beaurocratic effort would be too expensive. This also means that it is legal for doctors to implant them but the manufacturer may not advertise for this IUD (again, at least not in Germany, I do not know how this is for other European countries or for the US)

- How it will be removed: actually I did not ask the doctor, to be honest. I just figured that the knot it is fixed with will be cut and the whole thing can then be removed. Also, the procedure of inserting it was compared to a 'piercing' for the uterus.

How do you ladies avoid the pain during sex when the angle gets all wonky and just perfect to poke at it?It seems to happen to me fairly frequently, and since I had been in a long term-ish relationship for so long, we both got used to instant shifting when it happened and we were on the same page and both felt it and understood what to do. Now, I'm single and ready to mingle about and I'm getting poked and it HURTS. I shift, but there's only so much shifting will do. It happens in all sorts of positions, and I'll mention if it happens more than once that "Heey ow I've got an IUD be careful," but most dudes, especially that are my dating-age, don't have experience enough with them to understand what to do. And it forking hurts and it makes everything so miserable once it's been hit and I wanna have casual sex, damnit! Am I doomed?!

eta: I had this issue pre-IUD, but I mostly attributed that to being young. Maybe I'm just angled funny? I'd get poked in a way that made me feel a bit ill. Now I feel sick enough that I have to stop and lay down for a bit when it gets poked.

missdelaney- do you notice it happens more at certain times in your menstrual cycle (if you have Paragard and have a cycle)? When I had an IUD my cervix would get poked around the time I was ovulating, but I was usually fine at other times. I know it's not convenient to time your fun casual sex around your ovaries' schedule, but maybe it could help.

Guys, I'm stuck- I am trying to decide between NuvaRing and the coil and I see pros for both. I really really don't want hormones but apparently nuva is really low. I want something that is really easy, nuva and coil are both easier than pill. Pill just makes me mental, lose motivation, and breakthrough bleeding can last over a week and I'm over it. I think the coil is ultimately the way to go but maybe I should try nuva just in case? I think I'll know in the next year if I want a kid or not, at which point I should get the IUD?Any nuvaring from pill experiences? Anyone who was on the fence about IUD only because not 100% sure about kids quite yet? What did you do until you were 100% sure? Otherwise, IUD is the right choice for me unless I have the same side effects as jojo!

Thank you for this thread! I have read every single post and am planning to get a Mirena of my own once I own a car and have enough money (no health insurance). That will hopefully be within the next couple of months.

Guys, I'm stuck- I am trying to decide between NuvaRing and the coil and I see pros for both. I really really don't want hormones but apparently nuva is really low. I want something that is really easy, nuva and coil are both easier than pill. Pill just makes me mental, lose motivation, and breakthrough bleeding can last over a week and I'm over it. I think the coil is ultimately the way to go but maybe I should try nuva just in case? I think I'll know in the next year if I want a kid or not, at which point I should get the IUD?Any nuvaring from pill experiences? Anyone who was on the fence about IUD only because not 100% sure about kids quite yet? What did you do until you were 100% sure? Otherwise, IUD is the right choice for me unless I have the same side effects as jojo!

It would be a lot easier to switch from Nuva-ring to IUD than the other way around. Maybe you could try the Nuvaring for 3 month or so?I do want children, and I have a IUD. I got it during my last year of college, because I figured that even though my hormones were trying to make me believe the contrary, I definitely did not want to have a child in the next 5 years (the recommended duration for Mirena) . If there is a possibility you will want to have a child in less than 3-4 years, then maybe an IUD isn't the best choice for you for now.

Thank you for sharing your experience and suggestion, aelle. That is kind of the conclusion I came to. I figure I'll try the Nuva-ring for a few months and see how I get on as far as side effects go. I should know within a year if I want to have children. If not, definitely the IUD for me.

missdelaney, i have getting-punched-in-the-cervix problems, too. i don't find it necessarily more painful now that i have an IUD, either way it sucks. i just try to position my legs or hands or some part of my body in such a way that it limits the other person's thrusting depth to what is comfortable for me, so even if they get too into it, there will be a physical barrier. if i get cervix-bumped anyway, i just tell them that that's too deep.

meggs, seems like you've got a good plan, but i'll add my two cents anyway. i was on the nuva ring for about a year, and i didn't particularly have any problems with it, but i've never been on any other hormonal bc so i can't compare. i liked it just fine, except that it made my libido slightly less. i stopped using it because i was living in a tent for a couple months across the country from my health care provider, which made getting new prescriptions and/or storing rings for future months at the appropriate temp difficult. otherwise, i probably would have continued to use it for another few years. i got a paraguard about 9 months ago and quite like it. i might want kids at some point, but i got it just after turning 24, and i figure even if i only use it for several years, rather than it's whole 10 year life span, it will still have been a good choice for me. (although the frugal part of me feels that i should get all of my money's worth!) i kind of wish this had been presented to me as an option when i was 18 though, and would have been more likely to use it for the whole decade. i'm not sure how soon you'd want to have children, if you do decide you want them, but for me i think min. 4 years would make it worth the insertion process and the $400 i paid for mine.

I've had my IUD for over a year and generally have had no problems. However, when I first had it inserted I encountered a few yeast infections which had previously been uncommon for me. The yeast infections were chronic for like the first 3 months then they disappeared. I believed my partner at the time perhaps had a differing pH than mine causing the infection. Though, I never thought there might be a correlation between the IUD + the infections until now. A few days ago, I got yet another yeast infection that has been quite hard to get rid of. I was researching that this can be common for women with IUDs. I rarely eat refined sugar (1-2 times per month), don't often consume alcohol and drink plenty of water. I take probiotics and drink kombucha semi-regularly. I've been with the same partner for the past 7 months and this is the first yeast infection I've encountered since. Has anyone else noticed an increase in yeast infections since having an IUD inserted?

I've had my IUD for over a year and generally have had no problems. However, when I first had it inserted I encountered a few yeast infections which had previously been uncommon for me. The yeast infections were chronic for like the first 3 months then they disappeared. I believed my partner at the time perhaps had a differing pH than mine causing the infection. Though, I never thought there might be a correlation between the IUD + the infections until now. A few days ago, I got yet another yeast infection that has been quite hard to get rid of. I was researching that this can be common for women with IUDs. I rarely eat refined sugar (1-2 times per month), don't often consume alcohol and drink plenty of water. I take probiotics and drink kombucha semi-regularly. I've been with the same partner for the past 7 months and this is the first yeast infection I've encountered since. Has anyone else noticed an increase in yeast infections since having an IUD inserted?

yes! i have been having chronic yeast infections for the last 13 months. (probably at least 8 in that time, plus a few other times when i felt like i was starting to get the itchies and burnies and i upped my raw garlic/probiotic intake and it went away.) however, i have only had my IUD for 10 months, and i started seeing my sweetie right just a few weeks before my first one (ever in my life) and he said i'm like the 3rd person he's been with who has had chronic yeast issues while he's been seeing them, so he is pretty convinced the problem is him.

Actually my yeast infections have disappeared since switching from the Nuvaring to a copper IUD. I had them pretty regularly while on the ring and now I have not had any issues for more than 6 months. So, yeah, there you have your anecdote the other way round.

How do you ladies avoid the pain during sex when the angle gets all wonky and just perfect to poke at it?It seems to happen to me fairly frequently, and since I had been in a long term-ish relationship for so long, we both got used to instant shifting when it happened and we were on the same page and both felt it and understood what to do. Now, I'm single and ready to mingle about and I'm getting poked and it HURTS. I shift, but there's only so much shifting will do. It happens in all sorts of positions, and I'll mention if it happens more than once that "Heey ow I've got an IUD be careful," but most dudes, especially that are my dating-age, don't have experience enough with them to understand what to do. And it forking hurts and it makes everything so miserable once it's been hit and I wanna have casual sex, damnit! Am I doomed?!

eta: I had this issue pre-IUD, but I mostly attributed that to being young. Maybe I'm just angled funny? I'd get poked in a way that made me feel a bit ill. Now I feel sick enough that I have to stop and lay down for a bit when it gets poked.

I had the same problem when I had Mirena- certain angles with someone on the large side would result in poking, which made my insides feel they were getting ripped out.Make sure you are reeeaaallly ready before any p in v. Quickie sex was pretty much off the table while I had an IUD. After it happened for the millionth time, I got fed up and had it removed (it was also making me very sick). I also have a tilted uterus which may have something to do with it.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1082Location: Land of the First Kaiju

Okay, now I am intrigued. I'm getting kind of sick of hormonal birth control, even though NuvaRing has been generally a-okay for me for the past... 3-4 years now? I want a Paragard, so fortunately I'm due for my annual pap soon and will be speaking to my fabulous doctor about my options within the next month or two. I'm slightly nervous that I WON'T get my period for a really long time, because the last time I quit hormones I didn't get a period for more than 6 months. Blood tests came back fine, I was eating normally with non-excessive exercise. I guess it's how my body reacts when its precious, precious hormones are taken away.

I had my Mirena inserted a little over a month ago, so here is my experience for anyone who is interested.

Insertion was fine, a bit painful the first day, like bad cramps, but ibuprofen took care of it. I have had spotting here & there, but no real period. I am fairly sexually active & the only time I felt pain was (sorry if this is TMI) one time from behind with someone who was a bit on the large side, but it wasn't terrible. I am not in a stable enough relationship to not use condoms at the moment, I got the IUD for period control rather than birth control, so I'm not sure about the strings bothering a partner yet. I did read on the IUD Divas on Livejournal that a sea sponge or Today sponge will relieve any discomfort a partner may feel. I sometimes use a sea sponge when I am having sex with the IUD anyway because of the spotting, & my partner never notices it.

I cannot wait until the period stops entirely, but the spotting is better than what I had before, which was two seven day periods a month. My insurance covered it, but even if it did not I would get it, because it will save money on birth control & tampons in the long run.

Rereading this thread has me a little worries though. I have crazy periods already, like overflowing my cup every couple of hours for days heavy. Can they actually get heavier? .

Yes. They can! I'm having my non hormonal IUD removed today (& having it replaced with a hormonal IUS). My periods are insane, like overflowing my mooncup in 1 1/2 hours 2 days every month. I've had it for 16 months now because I wanted to give it a fair chance but the bleeding combined with the horrible cramps means that I give up! The cramps are bad enough that on one day a month I can't do anything, I'm pretty much curled up in a ball all dayin pain & I'm getting through a whole pack of parecetamol & codeine tablets every period which only just take the edge off rather than stopping the pain.

I'm not trying to put you off or freak you out I just wanted to share my experience, obviously everyone's bodies are different & if you're okay with the possible loss of $60 then it's worth a try.